Legislative
decisions in Lansing are making it possible for Northern's
administration to move forward with budget planning for fiscal
year 2006.

“We
were able to confirm Monday that the Cohodas renovation project
will not be among those that receive capital outlay funding
this cycle, but we hope it's considered in one of the two
remaining cycles – one for '05 and one for '06,” said NMU
President Les Wong of the $14 million priority project.

“Now
that we know the impact of the executive order and that we
don’t need to provide match money for an immediate capital
outlay project, we have a little more information we can take
into our next level of budget planning for the upcoming year.”

A
university forum to discuss the NMU budget, possible tuition
and fee scenarios and the summer construction timeline has
been scheduled from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in the University
Center. Full Storyo

Forum
Addresses Departmental Leadership

A
discussion on the merits of a departmental chair model will
be held from 4-6 p.m. today (March 30), at the University
Center. The forum is being coordinated by the AAUP's committee
"O," which stands for outreach and organizing.

“NMU
currently operates under an appointed department head model,”
said Robert Goodrich (History). "This means
that decisions regarding employing and dismissing department
heads lies in the hands of deans and not faculty.

"The
alternative model that will be discussed is the chair model.
This is when departmental faculty members make all final decisions
regarding firing and hiring of chairs and thus have direct
control over departmental governance." Full
Storyt.

Superior
Edge Takes Shape

In
order to achieve the Superior Edge, NMU students will complete
requirements in four focus areas – leadership, citizenship,
diversity and real-world applications – and leave with an
e-portfolio to document their experiences. These
are the proposed components of the value-added initiative
presented by the Superior Edge Task Force at a forum last
week.

The
event included small-group discussions (pictured), which provided
feedback that will help fine-tune the plan. Four task force
members were scheduled this week to visit Purdue University-Indianapolis,
a school that has successfully implemented a similar model.

Kathleen
Thompson (Nursing), chair of the committee, said members have
wrestled with a variety of issues related to the depth and
breadth of the program since the group formed in October.
Full Story

Scheidler
Receives Student Employee Honors

Natalie
Scheidler, a history senior from Holly, has been named Northern
Michigan University's student employee of the year.

She
has worked as a student assistant in the Central Upper Peninsula
and NMU archives for nearly four years, and has served as
senior student assistant for two years.

In
the latter capacity, Scheidler is responsible for overseeing
the general management of the archives, including training
and supervising other student assistants.

She
has also worked on projects such as developing an instructional
workshop on historical research methods, and coordinating
a series of workshops on researching and preserving family
history and genealogy.

April
10-16 is National Student Employment Week, an opportunity
for colleges and universities to honor the contributions of
those who work on campus while attending school.

There
are about 1,600 students employed at NMU. Recognition week
activities are being coordinated by the JOBSearch Center,
which has also posted online suggestions for expressing appreciation
to the student workforce – from cards to potlucks to photo
collages. The ideas are available at JOBSearch
Student Employees.net
Chat'

Assessment
Social March 31

Assessment and outcomes
are not just trendy "buzz words" bandied about during tough
economic times by those calling for greater accountability
from government-supported institutions. They have become ingrained
in the culture of higher education. They are also essential
to Northern's continued accreditation.

When NMU was accepted as a participant
in the Academic Quality Improvement Project (AQIP), the university
identified its number one priority and action project: ensuring
that each academic and service department has an assessment
plan and reporting schedule on file by the end of the 2006-07
academic year.

To help facilitate
that goal, an assessment social is being held on Thursday,
March 31.

"We are bringing
together people responsible for developing a plan, identifying
appropriate measures, and establishing a timeline for reporting
on the plan," said Teresa Hunt (Academic
Affairs). Full Story

'Planet
Chat'

The next
"Planet Chat" session at NMU will be held from 11 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the Commons Area of Whitman
Hall.

Three
students and a member of the community will share their experiences
of traveling overseas.

NMU will
host a “Celebration of Student Research and Creative Works”
from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5, in the Explorer Rooms of the University
Center.

It
will showcase the accomplishments of more than 100 students
through posters of scientific presentations, podium presentations,
dramatic readings and – for the first time – Microsoft PowerPoint
presentations via student notebook computers.

“We
put on this event to celebrate the research efforts and scholarly
activities of our students,” said Cynthia Prosen
(Graduate Studies). “We want to make a big deal out of what
they’ve done as reinforcement for all of their hard work and
to show them that it pays off.”

Seiter
Elected National VP

NMU student Cristina Seiter (back
row, third from left) was elected the 2005-06 national
vice president of internships/jobs for the Public Relations
Student Society of America at the recent PRSSA national assembly
in Dallas. Full Story

Library
Joins

Celebration

Olson
Library has planned a variety of activities to recognize National
Library Week April 10-16.

This
year's theme is "Something for everyone @ your library."
Full Story